UK Deputy High Commissioner Dies At Lagos Airport

The British High Commission has confirmed
the death of its Deputy High Commissioner
to Nigeria, Ambassador Peter Carter, who
slumped and died on Tuesday from a
possible heart attack on arrival at the
Murtala Muhammed International Airport,
Lagos.
The deceased who arrived Lagos on United
Airlines Flight UA143 at 3.50pm local time
slumped in the avio-bridge while he was
alighting from the aircraft.
Nobody knew the cause of the death or if he
was sick aboard the aircraft, but a worker with
one of the aviation handling companies
disclosed that he saw the gathering of officers
from the high commission who kept mum and
looked solemn, before he learnt about the
tragic incident.
However, a letter written by the Federal
Ministry of Health Port Health Services, which
was signed by Doctors E.E. Ukatu and Abdullai,
made available to reporters by airport sources
stated: “The Port Health Services was called
today (2/9/14) by a FAAN (Federal Airports
Authority of Nigeria) medical nurse at about
4.07 pm from the D arrival screening point to
see a passenger (the deceased) said to have
arrived aboard a United Airlines flight from
Houston, Texas.
“It was reported that after disembarking, the
passenger was observed to be clutching his
chest and asking for help.
“In the course of examination, he was asked if
he was Asthmatic, and he said ‘MAY BE’.
“On examination, he was found to be pale, in
respiratory distress (gasping for breath), his
pulse was rapid and thready. Based on his
response to the question if he was asthmatic, a
Ventolin inhaler was administered, but was not
effective, as the patient was restless and threw
off the inhaler to the floor. He was placed on
the left lateral position and at the same time,
oxygen was called for.
“Efforts were made to administer oxygen, while
a second doctor was called and suction applied
via a suction machine to clear the airway.
“”Subsequently, the patient suffered a cardio-
pulmonary arrest; the radial and carotid pulses
were no longer palpable and patient was
observed to be cyanosed. Attempts at
resuscitation proved abortive. Pupils were
fixed and dilated and patient was certified dead
at 4.26 pm”.
In a statement on Wednesday, the spokesman
for the commission, Mr Rob Fitzpatrick, said
that the commission was saddened by the
sudden death of Mr Carter.
Peter joined HM Diplomatic Service in 1984
and was an experienced career diplomat.
He had previously served as Consul General in
Milan and then as the British Ambassador to
Estonia before becoming Deputy High
Commissioner in Lagos in 2013 where he made
an exceptional contribution to the UK.